Voluntarily Re-training? Good idea or bad?

HappyEnough

I have been a sahm to 5 lovely young people most of the last 20 years, and now my youngest has just started secondary school i feel the time is right to enter the world of "real work" :rotfl:
My DH is happy for me to continue to stay home, as he likes the traditional set up we have of him working, and me being a full time mum and wife. However, now the kidds are getting older and beginnning to flee the nest I have to be honest, the lack of income helpfully supplied by way of tax credits, child benefit etc will become an issue and i WILL need to work by September when only two of my five kids are in eduction still.

I would really like to work as a Healthcare Assistant at my local Hospice, caring for the terminally ill. I do casual call operator work here at the moment, evenings as and when, and just think I want to do more than admin work. I want to train in pallative care but as I have absolutely no experience of this am reluctant to approach them to ask them to hire me and pay me for knowing nothing!

I have the opportunity of become a "buddy" for the hospice, that would entail training as a Healthcare Assistant, (training provided by the hospice) and VOLUNTARILY working shifts to suit them/me. I could fit the training in around my youngest school times, and I think it would be an ideal way of actually gaining experience, and seeing if it suits me and I suit it, without the actual full blown commitment of a permanent paid role. The idea being that there are few jobs out there anyhow, and I could easily be looking for a position for months, but at least this way I could be training, and working gaining experience, so that WHEN a position does arise I could apply, and hopefully they would give me a job???

Am I being niave? Is it foolhardy to work for free, volunarily, when we are struggling at lot financially as it is? Maybe I should just apply for paid work? DH has two jobs at moment just to support us as it is,

Suggestions/Advise gratefully received.....

:T

Sambucus_Nigra

I volunteered for an organisation [Charity] that I now work for. It's also better sometimes to get hands on training than pay thousands for a course that will teach you the same.

kingfisherblue

It sounds ideal for you. Training in this way will give you a good insight into how you would feel about taking on a permanent job in this area, and you will also be helping an organisation that probably relies on volunteers (I know our local hospice relies on them quite a bit). If you volunteer and then a job arises, you may well be able to get a reference from your line manager, which should hopefully help you gain employment. Also, there is no legal requirement to advertise for most jobs, so if you are on the spot, you might have a chance to get a job and save the hospice the cost of advertising.

Good luck x

[Deleted User]

It sounds like a great opportunity, excellent to see if you like care work, and experience counts for a lot when looking for jobs in healthcare.

But you should also ask for details about the training (to see if it's transferable to other healthcare settings - NHS, private, just in case paid work doesn't become available at the time you need it to in the Hospice). Not that this should put you off getting the experience (but if not tranferable training, and you work there for long enough to know if it's the right job for you, it might be worth contacting your local college to see what corses they can offer).

D9

lynzpower

Am I being niave? Is it foolhardy to work for free, volunarily, when we are struggling at lot financially as it is? Maybe I should just apply for paid work? DH has two jobs at moment just to support us as it is,

I am doing something like this at the moment, I am not really working though, I watch other people workand learn from them. It is like paying for practical training - the pay being what hourly rate you would get otherwise.

HappyEnough

Thank you everyone. I really think I will go for it, I really have nothing to loose.

Quenastoise

The sooner you make your move, the better. There is currently free funding available through a scheme called Train To Gain which you can access as a volunteer if say, you wanted to do a NVQ 2 in Health and Social Care but the scheme is coming to an end on 31 July. The training is government-funded and is free for the person receiving the training. The employer is supposed to contribute to the cost of the training. You might like to approach a provider in your area to see if they are aware of any care home that would be interested in a volunteer.

Alternatively, you could do an apprenticeship which is a level 2 with additional requirements such as English and math but you need to be in employment to follow that route.

The apprenticeship service matches vacancies for staff interested in training with training position needed to be filled.

You need to think about where you want to go longer term, a level 2 in Heath and Social Care would prepare you for work in a nursing or residential home, whereas a level 2 in Heath care is more geared to the NHS. You can practice palliative care in both types of setting but with limited experience you need to cover the basics first (for instance manual handling, etc.)

Person_one

Before you go for the training, check if there are any conditions placed on it. One organisation I volunteer for requires you to sign a contract before training stating that if you stop volunteering within 12 months you'll repay the cost of the course. I completely understand why, but just be aware if that's the case. If you do take on paid work elsewhere you might not be able to carry on at the hospice too.

xangeleyes

I think it's a great idea.
Also, if you wanted you could do this at your local college: http://www.kcollege.ac.uk/courses-in-kent/access-to-he.html (You are in Ashford aren't you?)
This will help you get into some kind of Health care course
OR you've got this http://www.kcollege.ac.uk/courses-in-kent/health-a-social-care/449-further-education/5722-health-a-social-care-level-1-foundation-learning.html It's a Health and Social Care Level 1 Foundation.

You could do these if you wanted to while also doing the voluntary work at the hospice.

ANyone can return to work at any age, and well done! It's a big step when you've been at home for so long, so you should be really proud of yourself!

ALSO! I know that your husband is working, but go to the Jobcentre! Ask about wanting to return to work and that you need help, they will be happy to help. PLUS they may even be able to help you with finding PAID work while learning!
My friend has been unemployed for a while and she's now got a paid full time job while learning at college in the evening or during the day PLUS training onsite and she's working in healthcare. She was working with the elderly, but has now moved onto the Disability ward which she LOVES.

Savvy_Sue

Could you do the hospice work / training and still do the 'as and when' work you currently do?